A Holiday Exchange
by PhantomPenguin
Summary: Elphaba snorted. Lurlinemas. What an overdone, commercialized, and absolutely unnecessary holiday.


**Disclaimer: Wicked and all associated characters, places, and ideas unfortunately don't belong to me.**

I started writing this in French one day merely out of boredom, and then the idea just took off and turned into this little holiday story.

It's very cheerful and humorous, and hopefully will inspire some happy-feel good emotions =D

Happy holidays! Reviews make excellent presents!

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Elphaba, perched on the window ledge, pressed an emerald hand to the frozen window pane. The sky was slowly darkening, the heavy gray clouds obscured by the night. It was snowing again, she noticed, watching as the pale flakes drifted gently past the window.

"It figures," she muttered to herself. Where would this holiday be without the stereotypical whiteness of frozen precipitation? Tomorrow morning, she was sure, there would be children frolicking around in the snow, cheeks rosy from the cold as they played with each other and their parents—the perfect picture of domestic bliss.

She snorted. Lurlinemas. What an overdone, commercialized, and absolutely unnecessary holiday. It was so…disgustingly sweet and joyful.

"And what are _you _snorting about over there?" Galinda inquired, skipping over to the window to peer out the window over her roommate's shoulder.

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "Merely the useless and annoying qualities of the upcoming holiday."

Galinda gave a loud, theatrical gasp. "Lurlinemas is _not _useless, Elphie!" she exclaimed. "It's a time to go to parties, dress up, and get presents!"

Standing, Elphaba stretched, her back cracking in protest from being bent over a book for so long. "Correction—it's a time for _you _to go to parties, dress up, and get presents. It's a time for _me _to stay inside and read."

"But, Elphie, don't you celebrate at all?" Galinda asked. Her blonde curls bounced as she bobbed up and down on her feet, peering up at her roommate in curiosity.

"No, I don't," Elphaba replied, picking up her worn book from the windowsill.

"Why—"

Elphaba cut her off. "Think, for a minute, Galinda. Lurlinemas is about love; it's about people liking you enough to give you a gift, and about liking them enough to give them one in return." She looked out the window. "What, in Oz's name, has you thinking that any of those things apply to me?"

Galinda could only gaze silently at her friend.

Elphaba met her eyes. "I didn't think so."

She brushed past Galinda, heading towards her bed. Before she could make it, she was stopped by the blonde's hand grasping her arm. "Elphie, I understand your past issues, I really do." Something in Galinda's voice had Elphaba convinced otherwise. "This year, though," Galinda continued, "I'm going to help you have a _real _Lurlinemas!"

She gazed at Elphaba, obviously waiting for her excitement to be reciprocated.

Elphaba sighed. "Look Galinda, I appreciate it, but I don't celebrate Lurlinemas." She removed her arm from Galinda's grasp and continued on her previous path, but was stopped once again by Galinda.

This time, Galinda chose to throw herself directly into Elphaba's way; however, she had misjudged how fast Elphaba was actually moving.

Elphaba's breath left her as she collided with the ball of pink that was her friend, and Galinda squeaked as her roommate fell on top of her.

"Ouch!" Elphaba exclaimed. She picked her head off of the carpeted floor and waited for it to stop spinning. "Galinda, what on Oz was that for?"

"Mmmmhmmmnnhmhnmhnm!!!" The emphatic reply drifted up from beneath her, and, despite herself, Elphaba grinned.

"What was that, again?" she asked, smirking even though Galinda could not see her.

"I said, get _off_ of me, Elphaba!" Galinda gave a mighty heave, and Elphaba went tumbling backwards.

Standing, Galinda straightened her dress. She eyed Elphaba haughtily, brushing imaginary dirt from the bright colors of her outfit. Elphaba remained on the floor where she had been shoved, eyes closed, and showed no sign of moving.

Galinda took a tentative step towards her inert friend. "Elphie?"

Elphaba remained still, the sound of her breathing the only sign that she was still alive.

Galinda took another step. "Elphaba?"

Elphaba still didn't move.

Galinda bent over and poked her in the side. Elphaba grunted. Galinda poked her again. Elphaba cracked an eyelid open to stare balefully at her tormentor.

"Galinda…" she began.

She was cut off as Galinda poked her yet again. Swatting the offending hand away, Elphaba glared at its owner. "Stop it."

"Nu-uh!" Galinda taunted her. "Not until you agree to celebrate Lurlinemas!"

Elphaba's eyebrows went up. "Sorry, but no." She stood, dodging another poke.

Disappointment was evident in Galinda's eyes. "We could throw a huge party, though, Elphie! We could decorate, and hire caterers, and dress up! Everybody could bring us presents, and—"

"No," Elphaba said. "Who would want to bring me presents? Besides, parties are not something I care to participate in more than is necessary."

She turned once again to make her way to her bed. On a sudden impulse, Galinda reached out and hugged her friend. For the second time in fifteen minutes, Elphaba felt all of the breath go out of her lungs.

"Oh, Elphie," Galinda said. "I'm sorry if I've made you mad! I just wanted you to celebrate, and to have fun!" She buried her head in her friend's shoulder. "I wanted you to like the holiday, but you don't have to if you don't want to. I'm sorry!"

Elphaba glanced down at the person wrapped around her midriff. "It's fine, Galinda," she said. "Really," she added, as Galinda still showed no indication of letting go.

Elphaba sighed. "And," (here she grimaced, resigning herself to the inevitable) "if you feel it is completely necessary, I suppose you may choose _one _thing about Lurlinemas for me to participate in—one and _only _one."

Galinda's face lit up and she jumped away from Elphaba to get a better view of her face. "_Really_, Elphie?"

Elphaba could practically see her friend planning out an elaborate ball. "So long as it isn't a party," she added hastily.

"That is not fair!" Galinda cried.

"Take it or leave it," Elphaba replied.

She took it. "Hmmm…" Galinda began to pace around the bedroom, muttering to herself. "Decorations….cookies….presents…_presents!_" she exclaimed. "Elphie, I'm going to give you a Lurlinemas present!"

Elphaba sat down heavily on her bed. "A Lurlinemas present?" she repeated. "Very well, Galinda, but don't expect anything in return."

"Of course not!" her friend scoffed. "I'm doing this for you, not for me, silly!" She danced happily over to her closet, humming a tune that sounded suspiciously like "Walking in a Wizard Wonderland."

Rolling her eyes, Elphaba curled up on her bed and opened her book. If Galinda wanted to be silly about the holidays, then let her.

Still, it would be the present that she had ever received from a friend.

--

"Elphie?" Galinda's cheerful voice cut through the heavy curtain of sleep that lay about the room. She sat up in her bed and turned to face her still-sleeping friend.

"Unngh." Elphaba groaned and buried her head deeper in the covers, desperately trying to tune out her roommate's sprightly tone.

"What do you want for Lurlinemas?" Galinda asked.

"Sleep," Elphaba mumbled, turning over to face the wall.

"Answer seriously, Elphie!" The blonde narrowed her eyes to glare commandingly at her roommate.

"Eight hours of _uninterrupted _sleep," Elphaba muttered, just loud enough for Galinda to hear.

"Elphaba Thropp!" Galinda exclaimed.

"Yes, Galinda Upland?" Elphaba smirked at the use of her full name.

"Sarcasm is not appreciated! All I want to know is what you want for Lurlinemas," Galinda pouted, crossing her arms.

"At _four in the morning?!_"

"Of course!" Galinda chirped, grinning.

"Argh!" Elphaba looked for something on which she could express her irritation.

"Elphie, don't beat your pillow!"

"May I beat you instead?" Elphaba asked dryly.

"So violent!" Galinda frowned. "I'm going to all of this trouble to ask what you want for your present, and all you can do is threaten me! People have no gratitude nowadays…"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Galinda, I don't _care _what you get for my present as long as it isn't pink or frilly. Now, will you _please _let me go back to sleep?"

"Fine," Galinda huffed. "Goodnight!"

"Night," Elphaba muttered, burying her head in her pillow.

"Elphie?"

"Nnnnngh."

"Eeeeeeelphieeee?"

"Nnnmnmng."

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelphieeeee?"

"What?!"

"Are you _sure_ you don't care? You must want _something_!"

Elphaba just groaned.

--

Lurlinemas finally arrived, and Galinda awoke quite excited, thrilled that she would finally have the chance to give Elphaba her present. Working hard to repress an excited squeal, Galinda tumbled out of bed. She glanced towards her still-sleeping roommate and grinned. Elphie was going to love her present, she was sure of it.

She tiptoed to the bed, her small feet making nearly no noise on the floor. "Elphaba," she whispered, "it's time to wake up."

Elphaba rolled over so that she was facing away from Galinda.

"Elphaba," Galinda repeated, a little louder.

Elphaba slept on, burying her head deeper into her pillow.

Rolling her eyes, Galinda took in a deep breath—the easy way it was. "Elphaba!" she yelled, poking the green girl in the side. "Wake up! It's Lurlinemas!!!"

Elphaba jerked into a sitting position and stared groggily at her friend. "That's nice." She lay back down, pulling the covers over her head…only to have them yanked away by Galinda.

"Yes, it is," the blonde said sweetly. "That's why you're going to get up and open your present."

Three attempts to burrow back into the covers, five pokes to the side, and one long-suffering sigh later, Galinda and Elphaba were seated by the window. Galinda produced a package wrapped in a festive ensemble of green and red wrapping paper.

Elphaba raised her eyebrows, more at the lack of pink than anything else, and took the box.

Carefully, she tore off the paper, setting it on the floor next to her chair."It's a…box…" she said, staring at said object.

"You have to open it, silly!" Galinda said, grinning.

Smiling slightly at Galinda's ability to both point out the obvious and yet overlook the obvious sarcasm, Elphaba opened the brown cardboard box. Reaching one green hand in, she pulled out a framed painting of the Emerald City. Every building was depicted with immaculate detail, and the entire city glistened beneath a bright sunset.

The emerald of the glittering city perfectly matched the hue of the hand that held the beautiful painting.

Elphaba let out a small breath. "It's…beautiful."

Galinda smiled, eyes alight with joy. "I hoped you would like it!"

"But," Elphaba looked at her roommate, confusion in her eyes, "did _you _paint this, Galinda?"

Galinda laughed. "Me? I'm a horrible artist. I saw it one day when I was shopping, and it made me think of your dream of meeting the Wizard and visiting the City." She leaned forward and grasped Elphaba's arm. "Do you like it, Elphie?"

"I…it's…" For once, Elphaba was lost for words. "It's perfect, Galinda. Thank you." She continued to gaze at the painting in her hands, not knowing what to say.

Reaching over to the painting, Galinda took it from Elphaba's hands and placed it on the table next to her chair. She drew her friend into a hug. "I'm glad," she said honestly. "Happy Lurlinemas, Elphie!"

Elphaba smiled, glancing at the beautiful painting and her blonde friend. "Happy Lurlinemas, Galinda."

Galinda squealed, successfully managing to release all of her pent-up excitement and energy as well as ruin the moment. She jumped to her feet. "And now, breakfast! Give me twenty minutes" (Elphaba raised a politely skeptical eyebrow, seriously doubting that her roommate could emerge looking "presentable" in less than half an hour) "and we can go meet Fiyero!"

After the bathroom door had closed, Elphaba glanced once again to the painting. It truly was exquisite. It made her dream of visiting the Emerald City seem that much more a reality. She raised her hand, noticing with amusement that her skin was the exact same color as the city.

She stood, picking up the painting, and walked to her bed. Looking mischievous, she reached under her bed and pulled out a small parcel. Elphaba placed it on her bed for the time being and got dressed hurredly, throwing on her usual black dress and boots. As an afterthought, she added the red flower that she was sure Galinda had been planning on wearing in her hair.

It would be worth the stares to see Galinda's reaction. Elphaba laughed as she imagined the scene; her friend would most likely be torn between ire that Elphaba had worn part of her outfit for the day, and amusement over the color combination ("Oh, Elphie, you look so _festive_!").

The package was carefully placed on Galinda's shoe rack, next to the glittering pair of red heels that Elphaba knew her friend would choose that day. With a conspiratory and satisfied smirk, Elphaba slipped out the door.

Some thirty-five minutes later, the bathroom door opened to relinquish Galinda, clad in a rich red dress.

"Fine, Elphie, you were right," Galinda called to the empty room. She paused, looking for her roommate. "Elphaba?" Her green-skinned friend was nowhere to be found.

The package on her shoe rack caught her attention, and she walked over to investigate. "What's this?" she muttered. It was wrapped very simply in red paper, and there was no tag to be found on the outside.

Galinda tore into the wrapping, pulling a small figurine of a tiara out of the small box. It was delicate and intricately formed, and had a hole where a string could be threaded for a necklace. There was also a note.

_I thought that you would appreciate a representation of your preference of headwear as opposed to mine, Galinda, _it read._ Besides, it matches your personality. Don't look affronted, _(and Galinda was) _it's a compliment. I know that it's not much, but Happy Lurlinemas._

Galinda smiled to herself. "Happy Lurlinemas, Elphie," she said.

She dug a silver chain out of her jewelry box and set the figurine on it. Hanging it around her neck, she picked out her shoes (the red ones, as Elphaba had predicted). As she slid her feet into them, she turned to retrieve the last festive touch to her outfit—and couldn't find it.

"Where...?" she trailed off, glancing around in consternation.

Her eyes narrowed. It couldn't have gotten far; she knew that it had been there before she had gone to clean up...

"Elphaba!"

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Funny? Cute? Clicky the little button and say whether or not you liked it, for the sake of this poor, starving author (who's only starving because she hasn't gone to get anything to eat out of the kitchen).


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